Addressing Our Housing Crisis

Hawai‘i faces a tremendous shortage of affordable housing units—for every 100 families in need of affordable housing, only 29 affordable housing units are available. This affordable housing shortage makes it increasingly difficult for families with limited resources to find a safe place to live, put food on the table, and make basic ends meet. One result of the affordable housing crisis has been a sharp rise in Hawai‘i’s homeless population. Homelessness in Hawai‘i has increased by close to 20% over the past 5 years, and today, Hawaiʻi has the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the country.

Hawai‘i’s affordable housing shortage, combined with the soaring cost of living in the islands, has made it impossible for many families who have lived in Hawai‘i for generations to buy, or even rent a home. Each year, thousands of Hawai‘i residents leave because they can no longer afford to live in our state. Tulsi has long advocated building up rather than out, particularly on O‘ahu, to make the most of our limited space and ensure that our environment and agricultural lands are preserved. She is committed to expanding access to affordable housing opportunities, promoting home ownership, providing transitional housing, and helping those who are house-less get the immediate relief and long-term support they need.

“I’ve long advocated building up rather than out, particularly on O‘ahu, to make the most of our limited space and ensure that our environment and agricultural lands are preserved.” -Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Supports Federal Funding and Tax Relief to Help Address the Affordable Housing Shortage
To assist these efforts, Tulsi has supported federal funding for numerous programs that help state and local governments address housing issues including Section 8 Housing, Housing for the Elderly, Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and Loan programs, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, and the HOME Investment Partnership program. She has also strongly supported Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which have helped to develop and rehabilitate thousands of homes in Hawai‘i and created more than 2,900 jobs in Hawaiʻi's 2nd Congressional District over the past 30 years. In Congress, Tulsi has co-sponsored legislation like H.R. 1142, which would make permanent and expand the temporary minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit program, and H.R.3110 to increase Low Income Housing Tax Credits for individuals who have experienced a Federally Declared Natural Disaster. While she has continued to push hard to address this crisis head on, there is still so much work to be done. Tulsi remains committed to working to address this crisis.

Since the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) was first established in 1996, it has strengthened indigenous self-determination and empowered Native people by addressing affordable housing needs. In Hawai'i, NAHASDA has increased homeownership among Native Hawaiians, brought hope to many people who are living paycheck to paycheck and helped to remove roadblocks to economic success. At the start of the 114th Congress, Tulsi worked to pass legislation reauthorizing NAHASDA in the House and is continuing to work to ensure this program continues for generations to come.

More on Addressing Our Housing Crisis

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today voted against legislation that would weaken protections against predatory and unsafe lending practices. H.R. 3299 would make it easier for payday lenders and other financial institutions to get around state laws and raise interest rates on loans that target low-income and minority communities. The legislation passed by a vote of 245-171.

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) voted today against legislation that would unravel protections against discriminatory lending and weaken fair housing laws. H.R. 2954, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, exempts the vast majority of lenders from releasing data used to identify and prevent discrimination against low-income and minority Americans. This legislation passed by a vote of 243-184.

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01) today announced Hawaiʻi will receive$11,762,496 to support 35 homeless assistance programs in Hawaiʻi. The funding is part of more than$2 billion awarded to states through the U.S.

The housing needs faced by our Native Hawaiian community, and by Native communities nationwide, are among the worst in the country, making it increasingly difficult for families with limited resources to find a safe place to live, put food on the table, and make basic ends meet. Hawai‘i’s severe affordable housing shortage, combined with the soaring cost of living in the islands, has made it impossible for many families who have lived in Hawai‘i for generations to buy, or even rent a home.